The research on the preparation of high value-added chemicals by catalytic hydrogenation process using biomass resources is of great significance to solve the problems of energy shortage and environmental pollution in China.

     Recently, Professor Liang Changhai and his group have made important achievements in the field of biomass catalytic hydrogenolysis. By modifying the platinum-based catalysts with magnesium oxide, the breaking of C-O bond can be easily facilitated without excessive hydrogenation of aromatic hydrocarbon products. The catalytic activity and selectivity mechanism of MgO promoters for the hydrogenation of dibenzofuran to aromatics were analyzed from the aspects of microstructure and surface interface composition.

The results show that the Si-O-Mg structure is formed and Lewis acidic sites are formed, promoting the adsorption of electron-rich oxygenated groups in the substrate.

     At the same time, the surface modification of MgO effectively enhances the alkalinity of the carrier, induces the positive desorption of biphenyl, and effectively inhibits the occurrence of excessive hydrogenation reaction. Charge transfer from MgO around platinum cluster to platinum atom helps hydrogen dissociation and stabilizes the platinum species. The catalytic activity remains stable after 240 hours of reaction. However, excessive MgO can hinder hydrogen spillover and limit the reducibility. Subsequently, the modification of Pt-based catalysts by alkaline earth metals (magnesium, calcium, strontium and barium) is further investigated. The hydrogenation performances of Pt-based catalysts are positively and linearly related to the electronegativity of the modified metals. This is also one of the articles presented by the Lab of Advanced Materials & Catalytic Engineering for the 70th Anniversary of Dalian University of Technology!

     Relevant research results have been published in Journal of Catalysis (2019, 371, 346-356), a leading journal in the field of catalysis.

    In recent years, researchers in the AM&CE focused on the research direction of biomass catalytic conversion. Research work has been endowed on both theoretical research and industrial exploration, mainly based on the preparation of fine chemicals from biomass catalytic hydrogenolysis (Catal. Today 2019, 319, 155-163; Org. Process Res. Dev. 2018, 22, 67-76) and liquid fuel from biomass catalytic hydrogenation (Ind. Eng. Chem). Res., 2017, 56, 14034-14042; Catal. Lett., 2017, 147, 2215-2224; Catal. Sci. Technol., 2015, 5, 465-474; Catal. Lett., 2014, 144, 809-816; Energy Fuels, 2013, 27, 2209-2217).

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